Narendra Modi's Meerut Rally: Highlights of His Speech

Narendra Modi on Sunday hit back at Sonia Gandhi over her 'zeher ki kheti' barb saying it is the Congress which spews poison and reaps the harvest out of it with its divisive politics.

"Sonia Gandhi has told Rahul that power is poison. Who has been in power for most of the time during the last 60 years? ... In whose stomach has this poison gone? Who is spewing this poison? Who is harvesting the poison? They (Congress) are the ones who sow the seeds of poison," the BJP prime ministerial candidate said.

He said the country is seeking answers from Congress to its issues but its replies are wayward."People are asking Sonia Gandhi why farmers are committing suicide, her reply is people are sowing seeds of poison."

Modi's counter-attack came a day after Sonia Gandhi at a rally in Karnataka accused Modi and BJP of indulging in divisive politics by "sowing seeds of poison" (zeher ki kheti) and instigating violence in their "hunger" for power.

In his 50-minute speech, Modi attacked the Congress, ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh and the AAP government in Dehi and sought a mandate in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections by projecting himself as 'chowkidar' who will guard public funds.

The BJP's prime ministerial candidate said that he had made Gujarat free of riots and would make UP also riot-free if his government is voted to power.

Accusing Congress of driving a wedge between states and communities, Modi referred to the Telangana issue and said that the entire Andhra Pradesh is engulfed in the fire started by the manner in which the Congress had handled the issue.

"It is because they are following a police of divide and rule. You keep sowing seeds of poison and destroying the country."

Addressing the mammoth rally, Modi also hit out at the ruling Samajwadi Party in the state, calling it a "Samaj-Virodhi (anti-social) Party" and accusing it of corruption and non-governance.

"In Uttar Pradesh, it is news when people get electricity," the Gujarat chief minister said.

Modi also attacked the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi for its failure to check crimes against people from the north-east and Africa.

"It's a shame that a student from Arunachal Pradesh was killed in Delhi," Modi said, alluding to the death of Nido Taniam in an alleged racist attack earlier this week.

"Sons and daughters from India's north-east are our own children," Modi said.